By: Prabowo Subianto [taken from the Book: Military Leadership Notes from Experience Chapter I]
Many Indonesians may not know that only four nations managed to defeat the Mongol invasion in world history, i.e. the Mamluk from Egypt, the Japanese, the Vietnamese, and our ancestors, the Singhasari from Java. Many admired our ancestors. The world respected them. Majapahit is respected, as Srivijaya is respected. Our struggle for the independence of Indonesia is respected as well.
In 1289, Kublai Khan did have reasons to be boastful. The Mongol Empire, started by Genghis Khan, was the second-largest empire in the world. He controlled a vast territory, from present-day Turkey in the West, China in the East, to Russia in the North. Its total number of soldiers was twice as large as that of the Singhasari kingdom, and they had better combat experience.
However, none of that made Kartanegara fearful. He dared to refuse to submit to Kublai Khan. So did Kartanegara’s successor. After he took power from Kartanegara, Raden Wijaya led a war against about 30,000 incoming Mongol soldiers.
A strong nation, and a great nation, does not forget its history. By writing this book, I invite all readers, especially the youth of the Indonesian nation, to learn the history of the Indonesian nation.
In the history of Nusantara, there once flourished great civilisations – Srivijaya, Mataram, Majapahit – and many other powerful and famous kingdoms. Some warriors have shown their courage and resilience throughout history. Most of them were courageous, honest, selfless figures who swore to defend justice and uphold the truth.
Our nation does have weaknesses. However, it must not make Indonesians feel insignificant and incapable. Every nation has its weaknesses. We must be aware of our weaknesses and limitations and do our best with what we have.
There are many examples of battles in our nation’s history where we were outnumbered in terms of forces, weapons, and experience. However, because of the right attitude, because the leaders were virtuous, honest, patriotic, smart, hard-working, and never submitted to foreign dominance, we managed to beat the odds time and again.
However, when I travelled to various regions, interacted on Facebook and Twitter, chatted with the youths, teachers, professionals from various fields, I noticed that many are not aware of the courage of Kartanegara, the Singhasari King. The street where my father lived is named after him. Never was his courage more evident than when he opposed the arrogance of the Mongol Empire led by Kublai Khan.
This is very important. Indonesians should be aware of their roots. Our history is a great one. Other nations are in awe of our history. I have a Thai friend who always talks about Majapahit, Singhasari, Srivijaya when telling stories. Thais learn our history. They are in awe of our history. However, we Indonesians are not amazed. Most of us do not know and understand our history.
Many Indonesians do not know that only four nations managed to repel Mongol invasion in history, i.e. the Mamluk of Egypt, the Japanese, the Vietnamese, and the Singhasari of Java. We were admired and respected. Majapahit is respected, as is Srivijaya. Our struggle for the independence of Indonesia is respected as well.
In 1289, Kublai Khan did have reasons to be boastful. The Mongol Empire, started by Genghis Khan, was the second-largest empire in the world. He controlled a vast territory, from present-day Turkey in the West, China in the East, to Russia in the North. Its total number of soldiers was much larger than that of the Singhasari kingdom, and they had a better experience on the battlefields.
However, none of that made Kartanegara fearful. He dared to oppose Kublai Khan. So did his successor. After he took power from Kartanegara, Raden Wijaya led the war against about 30,000 Mongol invaders in 1000 ships.
More than 2,000 Javanese soldiers were killed in the battle, but Raden Wijaya’s intellect and tenacity prevented the Mongol Empire from expanding southward.
In 1289, Kertanagara wounded the envoy sent by Kublai Khan. According to Yuan Dynasty records, in 1293, tens of thousands of Mongol forces led by Ike Mese landed in Java to punish Kertanagara’s defiance and affront.
During Raden Wijaya’s reign, Majapahit adopted a doctrine of domestic political consolidation that Raden Wijaya established by aligning the Javanese kingdom of Kadiri and Majapahit.
These are some facts about Raden Wijaya or Nararya Sanggramawijaya, who became the founder and first king of the Majapahit Kingdom. Raden Wijaya is remembered as the figure who defeated Jayakatwang and drove the Mongols out of Java.
